All westbound lanes of I-10 are closed at I-45 North due to an overturned flatbed 18-wheeler.The accident was verified by Houston TranStar at around 2:30 p.m.Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson Danny Perez says that drivers are to avoid the area. He says that there looks to be some damage to road and that TxDOT will need to repair that before traffic can get back to normal.

Photo By Mayra Beltran/Staff

Emergency personnel examine an overturned 18-wheeler that caused major traffic headaches along the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 near downtown on Friday.

Photo By Mayra Beltran/Staff

A Texas Department of Transportation employee inspects the damage to the Interstate 10 overpass after the crash.

All westbound lanes of Interstate 10 at the North Freeway are expected to be closed until Sunday morning as emergency crews repair the highway after an 18-wheeler overturned Friday afternoon.

The driver lost his load, sending the truck and giant spool crashing onto the pavement. It caused "significant damage on multiple locations," officials said.

"Under the circumstances, we believe the pavement performed well and one could have expected there to be even greater damage than what we have," department spokeswoman Raquelle Lewis said in an email to the Houston Chronicle.

Even as officials assessed the damage, which included broken concrete and a large, gaping hole in the freeway, and made plans for "emergency full-depth repairs," they began the task of moving Friday afternoon commuters away from the scene.

The best bet, officials said, was to avoid the area altogether.

Motorists were advised to loop around the wreck, taking the East Loop to the southbound North Freeway then returning to westbound Interstate 10.

Drivers who didn't take that warning were diverted to the Southwest Freeway.

Officials said it was "possible" the contractor may complete the repairs earlier than the Sunday estimate.

"But, we certainly need to provide time for the prep work, the pavement work, the cure time and inspection," Lewis said in the email.